All That Mattered
by piper maru duchovny
Summary: They were doctors Lewis and Greene and that was all that mattered. - Season 8. Marsan with appearances from Elizabeth, Benton, Abby, and Carter.


**This idea hit me at 3:30 in the morning (because my muse hates sleep) and was promptly finished by 5:12 in the morning. It's a bit of an emotional rollercoaster ride but I wanted to tie up some stuff that season 8 left unanswered and still give that gooey Marsan feeling. It would be beneficial to listen to 'Those Nights' by Skillet & 'Need You Now' by Lady Antebellum while reading this.  
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**Dedicated to Rachel for making me write this. **

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**County General Hospital was deader than a door nail and the staff was rejoicing in the time to catch up on paperwork, gossip, and sleep. Mark Greene and Susan Lewis had commandeered the couch in the doctor's lounge; Mark watching the Cubs game with Susan's feet in his lap and Susan reading the paper.

"No way!" Susan bolted into an upright position from where she had been reclining, "No way."

"What?" Mark's eyes diverted from the seventh inning.

Susan pulled her feet back and tucked them underneath her, "No way!"

"You're starting to sound like Rachel. What is it?"

"Oh, nothing." Susan shrugged, "Just looking at the wedding announcements. Julie Mathers married Brent Smith this past Sunday."

Mark's brows furrowed in confusion as he racked his tired brain for the names, "Julie Mathers and Brent Smith? Why are their names so fam-" He trailed off as his jaw slacked, "NOOOOO!"

"Yeaaaah!" Susan waved the paper in front of his face.

Mark grabbed the paper from her and gaped, "NO WAY!"

"Hey!' Susan backhanded his bicep and snatched the paper back, "Get your own phrase."

"I just..." He stuttered, "I, I... I can't believe it. They got married? I mean what are the odds in that? Well, I mean they were hitting it off pretty well, but really?"

"I know." Susan laughed, "Our blind dates got _married._"

"After five years? Talk about your long courtship." Mark fought back a fit of laughter as his shoulders shook silently.

"What a story to tell too." Susan laughed, "Can you imagine Julie telling her child that she met Brent while she was on a blind date with someone else?"

"Moreover that her blind date was his blind date's best friend." Mark wiped at the tears that were falling as he tried to catch his breath.

Susan snorted, "And that they were all linked and stuff."

"And then their blind dates bailed." Mark couldn't stop himself from doubling over in laughter.

"What are the odds?!" Susan panted, "I mean, Nostradamus couldn't have predicted this." She snorted again and slid to the tile floor in a fit of laughter, rolling over onto her back.

"This should not be that funny."

"We shouldn't read the paper after being this tired."

Susan had tears flowing freely down her face and her chest ached from laughing so hard. She finally felt like she was back at home in County. She had been welcomed back with open arms from most everyone – even Mark, after everything. There had been some tension remaining from her departure with Mark, but now it was gone. They were back to normal and the relief made her laugh even harder.

"You've done lost it." Mark laughed and stood over her, one foot on either side of her waist.

"Help me up." Susan rolled her eyes and extended her hands up to him. His hands encased hers and he pulled her up, but her body went limp and she slipped from his grasp, collapsing in another fit of laughter.

Mark rolled his eyes, flopping down on the floor next to her and tilting his head to face her, "Two of County General Hospital's attendings go clinically insane-"

"-Found in hysterics on the floor of the doctor lounge." Susan added, rolling onto her stomach, burrowing her head into her folded arms and shaking with laughter.

"Maybe we can share a padded cell." Mark suggested as he continued to laugh openly, "Get matching straight jackets and share a corner room."

"Yeah, that lasts until you hog the window and I attack you." Susan snorted and wheezed, trying to catch her breath.

The door to the doctor's lounge swung open and Elizabeth's shadow cast across the pair. She cocked her head to the side and eyed them cautiously, "What is going on?"

"Hi." Susan managed to get out before she busted up again.

Mark snorted and lifted his head slightly, "Hey, Elizabeth."

"Are you high?"

This caused the pair to laugh more and all they could do was shake their heads. Mark swallowed hard and took a deep breath, managing to compose himself enough to speak, "It's a very long story."

Susan snorted and slapped her palm against the tile floor.

"What?" Mark chuckled.

Susan spoke through her laughter, "The photobooth."

Mark fell back against the floor and started laughing again.

"All you had to do was look at the damn camera." She reached over to cuff his arm.

Mark rolled his eyes, "ALL YOU COULD SEE WAS MY NECK!"

"It's not my fault you're a giant." She shoved him.

"I am not!" He protested, "You're just short."

"We are not having this fight again, Jeff." Susan pointed her finger at him.

Mark snorted, "I've seen the platform shoes in your closet, Mutt."

Abby, who had been going to get Susan's signature, paused beside Elizabeth, "What are they doing?"

"Oh, I don't know." Elizabeth sighed dramatically and watched them with amusement, "They've gone positively bonkers."

They had managed to get themselves into a seated position, "Bonkers?" Susan raised a brow, "Is this better or worse than the week we were up three days straight and lived only on coffee?"

"Oh, that was worse." Mark nodded, "I mean, I can still align both of my eyes."

"Remem-" Susan began but Mark's hand clamped over her mouth.

"You are sworn to secrecy, Susan Lewis." Mark reminded her, "Silence."

Susan glared at him and then nipped at the palm of his hand in protest.

"SUSAN!" Mark ripped his hand away, "You bit me."

Her eye roll was almost audible, "Oh please! It's not as bad as last time. I mean I didn't even break the skin!"

"You're mean. I want a new best friend. Doug is my best friend. You have cooties."

"Yeah? Good luck getting Doug to come back." She shoved his shoulder, "Or commuting to Seattle for pizza and beer."

"Am I the only one who is not understanding a word of that?" Elizabeth turned to Abby.

Abby shrugged, "Maybe we should get them a psych consult."

Mark and Susan were verbally sparring in words that only could be comprehended by one another. Susan slapped him, "You did not just-"

"-Oh, I did."

"Anchovies."

"Ugh. SUNBURN."

"You jerk. It's not as bad as the-."

And in unison they spoke, "DATING MORGENSTERN."

"Okay," Abby blinked, turning to Elizabeth, "Ew. I'll just get... Weaver to sign off on this."

Elizabeth nodded slowly, unable to divert her eyes.

–

Abby took a seat on a vacant bed next to Carter, "I feel like I walked in on them having sex."

Carter laughed and shook his head.

"What?"

"In their own weird, Mark and Susan way," Carter grinned, "You did."

–

Elizabeth was seated on the bench in the locker room when Peter Benton walked in from his final surgery of the day. He paid her very little attention outside of acknowledging her presence with a nod. He pulled his scrub top off and glanced over at her, "Elizabeth?"

"What do you know about Susan Lewis?" Elizabeth rested her elbows on her knees and folded her hands under her chin.

Peter shrugged and pulled a clean shirt from his locker, "She's a good doctor. A good friend."

Elizabeth rolled her eyes, "What do you know about her and Mark?"

"That," He motioned for her to turn around so he could shed his scrub pants, "is the ten million dollar question."

"How so?" Elizabeth turned her direction.

He sighed and pulled on his jeans, "Elizabeth, I'm not so sure you want to know."

"Peter," She said his name like a curse, "did they date?"

"No."

Elizabeth let out a sigh, "Then what is it about them that..."

"Turns you into a woman that can only see the world in a shade of green?" He offered.

Elizabeth frowned, "...yes."

Benton closed his locker and leaned against it as she turned around, "They love each other, Elizabeth. That love transcends everything."

"Well then," Her voice broke softly, "what do I do?"

Peter sighed and leaned forward, tilting her chin up, "Love him like I know you do. Don't give him up. He loves you, Elizabeth and he'll never act on it when he's with you. She wouldn't let him – ever."

Elizabeth nodded as a lone tear slipped down her cheek.

His thumb swiped the tear away and he pressed a kiss to her forehead, "I'll see you tomorrow."

And with that, he shouldered his bag and slipped out of the locker room.

–

Mark sat on the couch after tucking in Ella and checking on Rachel. The light of the TV filled the dimly lit room but the sports recap was muted and a box of memories was sitting on the coffee table. His finger traced over the tattered edge where the photostrip had been torn in half. He stared at the smile that reach her eyes. He could almost smell the funnel cakes and lake Michigan air.

He rummaged through the box – the battered Avon box he had bummed off a neighbor when looking at their memories had become too painful. It was filled to the brim with pictures, notes, and small knick-knacks. The t-shirt he had let her sleep in when her apartment was being fumigated, the Bears bobble-head she got him at Magoos when she forgot his birthday, hundreds of notes scribbled on napkins during conferences.

"_Mark, Doug is snoring! Make him stop. There's drool on my shoulder."_

"_You could have used the napkin to wipe the drool instead of writing me."_

"_Way to be a knight in shining armor." _

"_Mark." Elizabeth spoke softly as she turned on the yellowed light of the old lamp. _

_Mark dropped the napkin like it was on fire, "Elizabeth."_

_Elizabeth took a seat next to him and curled her legs under her, wrapping her arms protectively across her chest, "You're in love with her, aren't you?"_

"_Eliz... I've never... I mean..." He fumbled. _

_She sighed and blinked back the tears, "I know. I believe you." Elizabeth swiped at her tears and glanced at the pictures that had spilled all over the coffee table and a few that had slipped to the floor, "I'd imagine it must be horrible." _

"_What?" Mark asked, his voice hesitant and laden with emotion. _

_Elizabeth shook her head, "To fall in love with your best friend when you're married, to get divorced as she leaves your life, to marry someone else under the presumption you'd never see her again, only to have her come back months later." _

"_Elizabeth," His hand reached for hers, "I love you. I am here with you and I'm not leaving." _

"_I know." She breathed, "I also know that I will never love you like she loves you and that you'll never love me the way you love her." She pulled on his hand and their foreheads rested against each other, "But I'll be damned if I'm just going to give you up."_

–

_Morning came far too soon for Susan Lewis as she walked into the bustling hospital and made a break for the locker room. She grinned and rolled her eyes at the sight before her, plucking the bouquet of orange carnations from the locker vent. Glancing at the card, she began to laugh, "We should send them a gift."_

Susan put the carnations in a coffee mug full of water before placing her things in her locker and sliding on her lab coat and stethoscope. Walking to the admit desk, she took a seat on the stool next to Mark, reaching over and tearing a bite sized piece off his donut and plopping it in her mouth. They shared a look and smirked.

"They should name their first kid after us." Susan decided as she started laughing again.

Mark snorted, "What Mark Susan Smith?"

"No," She shook her head, "Susan Mark Smith, of course."

"Why is your name first?"

"Cause I didn't wear scrubs on the date and my date actually pieced their past together." She stuck out her tongue.

"Not fair!"

"No," Susan grabbed the last bit of donut from him and ate it, "_that _isn't fair."

"That's down right cruel."

The double doors of the ambulance bay swung open and like that they traded the banter for their well worn superhero personas. As the EMT rattled off the bullet, they rushed for trauma two and for mere seconds, their eyes met and it was like time had stood still for five whole years. None of it mattered; the jealous spouse, the crazy sister, all the baggage that lay between them. They were Doctors Lewis and Green and that was all that mattered.


End file.
